A Stranger Among Us
by AngelFire Rei
Summary: There’s a new girl in Konoha, Long flowing black hair &piercing crimson eyes are hard to miss. Sakura is suspicious as rumors surface about the new girl, suspicion grows. Shikamaru quickly takes a liking to the her;annoyed Ino tries get to the bottom of i
1. A Stranger Appears

**A Stranger Among Us**

A/N: Alright this is from the POV of Sakura Haruno/ Haruno Sakura and Rei who is an OC of mine, so not touchy, touchy my Rei.

that is all.

**Chapter One**

**A Stranger Appears**

It seemed like a normal morning to Haruno Sakura when she'd woken up. Now as she passed the Market in Konoha, it seemed there was some new buzz.

Shop Keepers were whispering together and the buyers were whispering too. Sakura walked up to a shop that was selling fresh apples, picking herself out a nice one for a snack. When the woman leaned over to take her money Sakura gestured to the others talking, with a questioning look on her face.

"I see, so you haven't heard?" The older woman had a young glint in her eye. Knowing something the younger villagers didn't, especially a rumor must have made her feel much younger again.

"Hear what?" Sakura said, hoping the woman would tell her.

"There's a young kunoichi in town," She whispered over the boxes into Sakura's ear. "She's supposedly very beautiful, and you won't mistake her, she's a rare looking girl."

Sakura nodded a thank you and walked away thinking. _A new kunoichi? She must be just passing through…I don't see why there's such a fuss…_Sakura sighed as she made her way down the street.

She passed by a wide alley way, stopping and turning back when she heard a familiar voice.

"…and she's not even that good looking…" A loud-mouthed girl was saying.

"She looks tough…" a softer but just as excited girl's voice followed.

"She's cocky…"

"Who is, Ino-pig?" Sakura asked as she came up on Tenten and said Ino-pig's conversation.

"Hey Billboard Brow! I take it you haven't seen her yet then?" Ino had that, 'I've got gossip' look spread across her face.

"You must mean this new kunoichi everyone's been whispering about…" Sakura figured.

"Yes," Tenten said, "Ino's just upset that this new girls taking all the guys attention from herself."

"Am not, like I said she's not that good looking, her eye color is rare, so what! Black is a normal color, rare beauty my ass!"

Tenten wormed her way over to Sakura to whisper, "Jealous"

Sakura clapped a hand over her mouth hoping to hide the laugh she was struggling to not let out. "Did this new girl walk past Shikamaru or something?" She giggled to Tenten.

"Most likely," Tenten shrugged.

"Billboard Brow!" Sensing Ino's rage Sakura slipped away and ran off down the road.

"I don't have time for you today Ino pig!" She called back to her fuming friend who was being held back by the weapons kunoichi.

Sakura went along still happy from her encounter with her friends. She'd remotely forgotten about the new girl, when she had a shocking reminder.

As the pink haired medic passed by a side road she collided with someone, both falling backward.

"I'm…sorry…"

Sakura heard a soft voice, but something told her that wasn't this girl's real tone of voice, it sounded hidden. Sakura got up and looked at the black-haired kunoichi, her black velvet hair, if it weren't so long Sakura would have thought the girl was a villager. Then she saw it. The flash of crimson.

_Sharingan?_

The kunoichi looked Sakura dead in the eye giving her the full view of her crimson eyes.

_That is rare…_

"What did you think you saw?" The question was sharp, and unexpected.

"N-nothing…" _why am I so intimidated by her?_ Sakura couldn't pin point it but there was something she didn't trust about the kunoichi in front of her.

"Hmm…sorry for knocking you down…" She was gone with that, just gone.

* * *

_She's seen red eyes before…sharingan red…it makes sense I mean Sasuke and Itachi are from this village…She must have thought I was an Uchiha…_ The mysterious young woman looked back at the bewildered kunoichi from the roof top she'd transported to. _This village is sure interesting…_

* * *

Sakura looked around; she could still sense that her long haired friend was watching her. She didn't allow herself to leave until she felt she wasn't being watched anymore. She headed for the hospital still holding an uneasy feeling. If Tsunade was there she would stop to talk to her sensei about this new comer.

* * *

Rei wondered the village by roof top for about two hours before coming to a stop; she let her feet touch the ground.

She hadn't realized her arrival would spark so much gossip and rumors. For one she didn't believe she was that beautiful, a rare find with her red eyes, yes, but beautiful, not quite. A common, 'pretty' was suitable. She shook her head.

Suddenly her mind went to the pink haired girl she'd knocked over, now that was stupid. She was a better kunoichi than that, to knock into someone, that was just ridiculous.

She realized that she'd made her way to the edge of the village, into a more wooded area that only got woodier farther on. It was a quite escape from the bustle in the village which she had unexpectedly caused.

Dirt path wound its way through the thickening trees around her as she moved slowly forward, a bit uncertain of where she was. She knew most of the main pathways and roads in the Leaf Village, but this one wasn't familiar at all, most likely a trail unmarked on any map. Nothing she remembered of the maps she'd looked over showed this path.

A light breeze blew gently on her face as the trees and bushed suddenly crowed in on her and the small trail she was on. She looked up and could barely see the sky through the entangled branches. The thought crossed her mind to turn back, but just as it passed, the path opened up on to a slowly sloping hill. A large tree stood at the crest, and the breeze -much stronger in the open- was tossing the leaves.

"…Wow…" Her soft voice blew away in the wind, as it moved her forward. It was simply a beautiful scene, and she was drawn to it.

Making her way up the hill she took in all she could, going at an easy pace. The sun was ducking behind clouds every so often making shadows dance on the ground.

The old Maple tree stood much taller than her when she finally got up close to it. The leaves rustled and danced high above her on the top branches. She put her palm to the bark of the old tree.

"…must be over a hundred years old….I bet you've seen a lot, huh, Tree?" She spoke her thoughts out loud, not realizing as she was lost in the peace of the moment.

"…Over two hundred years, actually…" Someone sighed heavily on the other of the large trunk, startling her. She jumped back against the tree and slid down to the ground.

"Sorry," Rei's voice was suddenly small, "I didn't realize that I –that someone…else was…here…" Her adrenaline rush from being surprised after hearing died down.

She wasn't sure but she thought she heard him mumble something about troublesome people.

"How'd you even find your way here? This is private property owned by my family,"

"Oh, I didn't know!" Rei wondered if she should leave.

"You aren't from here then,"

"No, I just found a small path leading here, I really didn't mean to trespass, I'm sorry."

Rei leaned forward on her hands and knees and crawled around the huge roots of the trunk, finally curious enough to see who she was speaking to. She peeked her head around the tree after crawling around about three feet of it.

There was a young man lying on his side turned away from her, propping his head up on his hand. His hair was brown and he had it pulled back high on his head.

"I am really sorry," she said as she leaned forward more, a few long strands of her hair fell forward with her. "I could leave…if you wan-"

"You talk too much," He said through another heavy sigh.

"Oh! I'm sorr-" She clamped a hand over her mouth to stop her continuous babbling.

"Heh," The young man flopped on his back and turned his head slightly to her. "…Wow…"

"Wh- What is it?" Rei removed her hand form her mouth and pushed the fallen strands of hair back over her ear.

He crooked a smirk at her, and she smiled back. "I'm Nara Shikamaru," He told her.

* * *

After Sakura had finished charting all her patients she looked for her master at the hospital, it was getting late and she hadn't seen Tsunade at all today. Though she figured that her teacher was probably being force by Shizune to get doing her Hokage duties, Sakura wanted to look for her once more.

Without any luck in finding her Shishou, Sakura left after seeing to one more patient and leaving the charting to one of the other nurses.

She started back to her apartment to get something to eat but decided on stopping at Ichiraku Ramen to see if Naruto was there, it would give her someone to talk to while she had dinner.

Sakura turned the corner onto the road where the ramen shop stood and could already hear the loud blond boy talking to the old man that worked there.

It was easy for her to walk in and take a seat right next to Naruto and even order before he noticed her sitting next to him smiling.

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled enthusiastically when she finally poked him.

"Hi there, Naruto." She smiled warmly at him.

"When did you get here?" He asked when he suddenly realized that he hadn't noticed her at all.

"Just a few minutes ago." She turned back to the counter in front of her as Ayame set down her bowl of ramen. The pink haired kunoichi pulled her chopsticks apart and started to eat, "Itadakimasu!" She smiled as she thought of how hungry she actually was. The apple from that morning hadn't been enough to fill her up.

She talked with her old teammate for awhile as she ate her one bowl of ramen and he down three or four, not including the one he'd had when she arrived. The chatted about the usually things. How was each of them doing? Were there any mission coming up for them? He asked her about work at the hospital, and she asked about his training. They talked about their friends and old days as team seven.

As Sakura started to say goodbye and leave, Naruto said he'd walk her home. She thought about telling him that she hadn't planned on going home, but thought a walk with him would be nice.

He did most of the talking as he walked her to her apartment. He told her about what he'd been doing to train himself, and who he'd trained with. Inside she was glad that he never brought up the villages mysterious visitor.

As they neared the Yamanaka's flower shop Sakura heard Ino yelling in a rage. Naruto looked at her and she shook her head, "Better go and see what she's on about." Then she was running to the open door of the shop. Sakura stopped in the doorway of the back room where Ino was talking, well screaming at Tenten.

"…And when I went there he was sitting playing Shogi…"Ino was screeching.

"What's so bad about that?" Tenten's voice was softer and much more calm then the screaming Yamanaka's.

"He was playing Shogi with…_her_…"

**End Chapter One:**

Thanks for reading, Please Review, the more reviews the sooner the next chapter comes up!!


	2. Contact

**A Stranger Among Us**

**Chapter Two: Contact (for lack of my naming skills its not very fitting)  
**

"I'm telling you Ten, it was her," Ino kept saying.

"Are you sure, Ino? It could have been someone els-"

"Tell me Tenten, who else has black hair to their butt in town?" Ino demanded.

"Well…"

"No one does Tenten!" Ino shouted.

Sakura stepped forward and put her arm between the other two girls, "Come on that's enough," She sighed. "Ino, stop yelling at Tenten, I'm sure it's not her fault."

Once Ino appeared to be calming down and only then did Sakura back up and remove her arm from blocking the girls off. "Now what's up?"

Ino glared at Sakura for a few moments before starting, "Well…I went to Shikamaru's house, to see if he was home or out being lazy, you know? And when I got there I saw him playing Shogi with that…" Ino paused seemingly to push away some bad thing or other that she wished to call the girl by, "That new girl…"

"Why would Shikamaru be with her?" Sakura asked aloud without meaning too.

"That's what I want to know!" Ino raised her voice a bit again earning her a glare from Sakura.

"I've tried to tell her that there's probably a good reason for it, but you know our Ino, she just wouldn't listen." Tenten gave Sakura a half smile with a half choked laugh.

Sakura sighed; this would have easily been avoided if Ino had just asked Shikamaru out already. These stupid games between the two were getting very old very fast. "Ino, you should really just talk to him." She said.

"Yeah Ino, that might really help," Tenten added.

There was a tap on the door frame behind the girls and there was Naruto leaning in the doorway grinning ear to ear as always. "Did you still want me to walk you home Sakura-chan?" He asked.

Sakura smiled and shook her head, "No Naruto, you go on, I'll be busy here for a little while."

The blond pushed off with a nod, "Alright. See ya later then!" He waved as he turned and left.

"Alright," Sakura called after him before turning to face her friends again. Ino had a very odd expression on her face and the pink hair kunoichi could tell she was planning something.

After a very long quiet pause in which Tenten and Sakura exchanged several glances Ino spoke, fast and firm. "I'm gonna find out where this chick is from!"

Ino started heading for the door as Tenten and Sakura took in what she said. They followed her. "Ino, do you think this is really a good idea?" Tenten asked.

"Yeah, Ino-pig she'll probably be gone in a few days anyway and we'll never see her again." Sakura added.

The blond spun on her heel and looked Sakura in the eyes. "Well she isn't trying to win over _your_ boyfriend is she, Billboard-brow?"

"But…Ino…Shikamaru isn't…your boyfriend…" Tenten tried to calm her friend down again.

Ino's spirit seemed to fall just then and she heaved a sigh and closed her eyes to think. "Yes. You're right." She conceded after a while.

Ino calmed herself down for a few more minutes before the girls walked back into the shop together. Tenten changed the subject as soon as she could, telling the other two of her last mission with Neji and Lee. Sakura didn't have much to say, and couldn't say she really wanted to hear anything either. She excused herself quickly leaving the other two in the middle of a discussion.

Sakura yawned as she started her way home again. Her feet took the quickest way back to her apartment. The medic wasn't sure where the day had gone, in so many ways it was as if she'd just woken up, and yet that also felt like days ago. Fumbling with her key she opened the door and kicked off her shoes. The sun was setting, she could see from the kitchen widow as she got herself a glass of water. It painted the sky several shades of blue, pink and purple as it fell gently behind the horizon.

Shikamaru leaned heavily on the door frame. "I can't believe you beat me at Shogi," He sighed and shook his head.

"Well it wasn't easy, and it may have even been luck…" Rei said.

"Nah, you beat me fair and square."

Rei looked down and then back up to the boy's face. _What am I doing…? _She questioned herself. Laughing off his last comment she turned to leave.

She'd only managed to get down the first step before Shikamaru asked where she was staying.

With a glace back at him she said, "I'm getting a room at one of the inn's"

"You could stay here, my parents are gone on a mission and this place gets kinda lonely sometimes…"

"Heheh, I think I'd better not. I'll see ya around, Nara Shikamaru." She left with that and a smile on her lips.

"Yea…" He sighed and shut the door behind her.

Rei followed the same path out of Nara property that Shikamaru had taken her on until she found the path she'd used to find the open hill side. It wasn't such a pleasant trail at night, it made her slightly on edge. Uncontrollably her pace quickened. She stumbled over roots and rocks. _God I should be more coordinated than this…_she hissed under her breath as a branch slapped her across her thighs.

Stopping she made sure she was still on the path; looking a little to the left she saw light about ten or so feet ahead. Veering to head in that general direction she found her way out.

Finally the path under her feet felt familiar and she stepped out into the grassy area she started from, and sighed with relief. Retracing her previous route through town to the inn she'd decided to stay at was much easier.

"Hello! Can I get you a room, Miss?" The young woman behind the counter seemed far too energetic for this late hour.

"Yes, I'd like a room for one night, please." Rei tried to return the girls happy smile but fell short of it.

The brunette passed the keys over to her and Rei gave her enough money that there would be a small tip left over and told the woman to keep the change as she headed up the stairs.

The room was ….quaint. There was one small bed with soft colored sheets that didn't match with the pillow cases of the two down pillows on top. A dark wood nightstand was next to the bed with an old lamp in the corner. She dropped her bag at the end of the bed as she fell to the mattress below. Kicking off her shoes Rei didn't even bother to change she just curled up to sleep on the bed.

Sakura sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side with a sigh. She couldn't get to sleep because of a nagging headache. She rinsed her face with cool water and took two aspirin before returning to the comfort of her sheets. She settled down with the happy thought that tomorrow was her last day to work before her vacation started. She only prayed the hospital would only see minor injuries so that she could leave on time. Her eyelids fell heavy and sleep finally seemed to catch up with her.

**A/N: **

_Sorry this chapter is boring and short and that it took so long to get it up...I've been having a rough time lately with personal things...I promise the next chapter will be better and longer! So bare with this chapter!... Please Review!  
_


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